Two people have reportedly been killed in a clash between the PTI and the PPP workers in Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections on Sunday.
The polling started at 8 in the morning to elect 45 members of the Legislative Assembly and ended at 5 in the afternoon in a generally peaceful atmosphere.
Voters present inside polling stations were allowed to cast their votes, while counting of the ballots began where the polling process had completed.
At least two PTI workers were killed in a clash with PPP activists at a polling station in the Kotli LA-12 constituency.
Naarr police identified the victims as 40-year-old Zaheer Ahmed and 50-year-old Ramzan.
According to police, the clash erupted between the PPP and the PTI workers at the Mithi Jand polling station. In the ensuing gunfire, Ahmed was killed on the spot and Ramzan died on the way to the hospital.
In another incident, five police constables were injured after Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) activists attacked them with batons at the Dhal Chakhya polling station in LA-32 constituency.
Voting in some polling stations of other constituencies was reportedly temporarily suspended due to incidents of violence. Several people were reportedly injured in clashes and a number of political activists were also detained by the police, according to reports.
THE ELECTORAL PROCESS: Polling in the AJK general election was largely peaceful across the Valley and Pakistan.
There were 5,118 polling stations in Azad Kashmir and 970 in Pakistan. Of all these polling stations, a clash was reported at only one polling station in Kotli.
A total of 3,019 polling stations in Azad Jammu and Kashmir were declared as peaceful, whereas 1,269 polling stations were declared sensitive and 904 highly sensitive.
Of the highly sensitive polling stations, 168 are in Muzaffarabad, 312 in Poonch and 424 in Mirpur.
MARIYUM AURANGZEB: PML-N spokesperson Mariyum Aurangzeb alleged “irregularities” in polling in various constituencies.
She claimed that the party polling agents were prevented from entering polling stations.
She alleged that polling was stalled for two hours at Girls Primary School Kangarhariwala, Union Council Komi Kot. No polling agent was allowed to enter LA-32 Chakar, LA-33 Goharabad except that of PTI, she added.
Mariyum also claimed that votes were being stamped inside the polling station with the help of staff.
The PML-N spokesperson said complaints had been filed with the Election Commission.
